Thank you^_^

Thank you for stopping by and commenting ^_^

Hey thank you :) Much appreciated. I’d say find a Wind or Tre store (they’re basically the same company) close to where you’ll be staying and go in and get a prepaid plan. Vodafone might be worth considering, but could be the most expensive

Hey there thanks for stopping by to share your experience and adding to the conversation:) I’ve had expierences with tim that even in a city that I didn’t have coverage. However hiking in Alto Adige out in the middle of nowhere I had almost perfect LTE with Tre It may be true for some areas however where I’ve been I’ve only once lost signal on tre.

I was reporting what is (or was) usually claimed. Things may have changed!

Seems to be a good choice, my experience using their network so far has been mostly positive, just keep out an eye for deals, but also coverage in smaller areas may be limited.

There should be a map of where you can find their shops and kiosks on their website which should

Haha thank you for your kind words! This is 2018 I’m only a few clicks away, always feel free to send me a private message or email. If you’re ever needing somebody to bounce ideas off of I also offer private consultations for people who need a little bit of extra info on settling here ^_^

I would say probably the best people to speak to about these questions would be Verizon. I’ve heard these same rumors but I’ve never had an iPhone through them so can’t speak from experience. Just as long as the phone is not locked to a carrier and can accept a SIM card and operate on a GSM network you should be fine.

Gio DelSol who did you get the contract with?

uindy4 TIM :)

When I was there I had good service when I had a contract with 3/Tre in Palermo and Corleone.

Hey there Alison, The largest bundles that I know about not only require an Italian bank account but also an Italian fiscal code plus a long term contract. When it comes to pay as you go in Italy I've only ever seen a hybrid system which isn't totally pay as you go or a contract.... but a hybrid of the two. I've only ever seen plans where you can only top up once per month but they're quite limited and if you want extra data it can get very pricey very quickly. The best prices I've seen for pay as you go have usually been at 3/Tre so if there's a 3 store in your area I would check that out, if not then I would visit wind, and if you can't find either of those then maybe check out vodafone, however almost without a doubt they'll probably be the most expensive. Wishing you lots of luck! Be sure to keep me updated when you find something, I would love to hear what you can get... who know's maybe that info will be able to help someone else in a similar position to you :) Have a great one ^_^

It’s not either or, as a tourist, you would only be able to get a SIM card with a prepaid plan, a SIM card with a contract wouldn’t be possible in most cases... nor would a 1 or 2 year commitment be worthwhile for just a 9 day stay

haha That gosh darn "H" word :P

Thanks for sharing your experience! With the new policies in place it’s a great option to be able to pick up a phone or SIM card in one country and use it in another within the EU I can’t say I’m surprised you had difficulty using the internet through your phone, I’m assuming that it was trying to route through german servers before being routed back to Italy.

I currently have a service contract through Tre (3). The service is supplied through the Wind/Tre network

I would definitely agree, and it’s actually €7,99 currently. I actually switched over to their service and have been mostly happy. But there are some issues I’ve personally had with them as far as data speed goes, but I’ve been quite happy with their service and even more so the cost of the service.

Rafael Di Furia I don’t know how it works since I don’t live in Italy anymore. My friends told me some infos about it like the price and how it works. Some people also told me that they use the same networks as Wind (which I’ve used and it’s alright) It’s a silly question but: can you speak Italian?

No, each country has a different amount of digits, each country has its own country code…if you want to use your number while abroad you’ll have to speak with your provider You’ll only keep each number for as long as you keep the line active

Hey Paul! Welcome to the channel and thanks for subscribing ^_^ Firstly I'd recommend checking out my latest video on this subject here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ga6Je9SksLbOqas.html but regarding your question... there's no way to transfer an american number to italy, however there are ways to transfer your number to an online service, however since you're not the most tech savy I wouldn't recommend it.. Personally I'd get an Italian number in the way I mention in the above link.... but depending on you situation that may or may not be the best choice for you. Roaming service from an American carrier out here in Italy would get very expensive very quickly not to mention the internet would likely be very slow

@@RafaelDiFuria I have no problem getting an Italian number. I was only curious how it works. What about cancelling my plan here with Verizon? I know my phone is unlocked. I've had for about 5 years. Originally with AT&T.

@@paulfreitag7772 as long as it will function on a GSM network and can accept a sim card should be fine, but without knowing the specifics of your phone it's tough to say... however if you're thinking about getting a new phone and upgrading then it's cheaper to do so in the US just make sure you get the international version... sometimes the bands that the phone can operate on will be a little different, but I'm really not the most knowledgeable on that subject and only have rough information...

@@RafaelDiFuria I'm sorry but what is a GSM? Also, my phone is a Galaxy Note 7

@@RafaelDiFuria I appreciate your help.

Hi Marco, I really don’t see how it would be possible, maybe there’s a call forwarding service in the US or online that might be able to take care of this. But I really don’t know of any

Rafael Di Furia thank you for your answer 🤗

Ciao David! I am subscribed to your channel as well. Just came across Rafael's channel. Any advice for an American moving to Florence about phone plans, Sim cards, etc? My phone is unlocked and it's a Galaxy Note. Ciao, grazie! Paul

@@paulfreitag7772 Hi Paul. Thanks for subscribing and welcome! I did a video on cell phone plans and more or less the info is still valid. However plans and prices change rather frequently so it really depends when you decide to activate a plan and more importantly, what your needs are. From my experience though, cell phone plans are better in Italy because you pay less and get just as much as you would stateside. The best companies to look at are: Tim, vodafone, Windtre, iliad and fastweb. I have fastweb and more or less I am satisfied with them. I pay less than 10€ a month, unlimited calling and I have 70 gig a month which I never use up! I also have fiber optic with fastweb and I happy with it. They also deduct automatically the cost of my mobile plan and and home internet from my bank account which is nice and hassle free. Vodafone is expensive and I've heard mixed results with Iliad. Let me know what you decide to choose. In bocca al lupo!

@@DavidsDoseofItaly grazie mille David!

If you’re in a rush I would say you probably would be taking a chance of missing your flight if you have a very quick connection. Depending on the route you take between your flights you may or may not even run into a cell phone carrier. Getting a prepaid plan back in the US is a bit more involved than it is back in the US. You have some forms to fill out and documents to sign... yes even if you’re not signing up for a contract.

I need urgent help with this please. About to board my flight from US to Rome.

Rafael Di Furia Thanks for your very prompt response. I will be exiting out of the airport to go to Termini station and there on to Ancona for a cruise, hence the rush. So I am assuming it will take at least 30 mins to get the SIM with the paper work?

30 minutes would be fair assuming there is no line. But why not just get a sim in Ancona if you’re in a rush. Some of the nicer trains have WiFi these days. Also on the cruise ship you’ll more than likely be out of range while you’re on board. I’d check with your cruise operator if they have WiFi on board

Rafael Di Furia I just needed to be in contact with my friends who I have to meet at the Termini. I am not sure if FCO and Termini have good WiFi. On the cruise I will get the WiFi they offer onboard.

I haven't tried them yet, but I've been hearing mixed things, some good, some not so good.. seems like it all depends on where you are. I used to have service through a french partner of theirs and was very happy in the past. If I were living in a major city I would for sure consider switching over, however I'm very happy with 3 :)

Oh my goodness! Gaeano, that is shocking! I actually I have done two videos on the healthcare system here but I haven't yet touched on the subject of pricing! I'm so horrified to hear the costs in the US and have been completely amazed at the cost here in Italy! Even to go to the emergency room is pennies by comparison.

Literally Mobile Data Flows Here Like a Water.

the only issue is that, I am still paying for it and AT&T (that's my provider) has some really expensive international plans! I can't pay off my whole phone completely yet, since I am short of cash but is it still possible to put an Italian sim card in it when I land in Rome?

Hi Daniel, Thanks for stopping by :) You would need to check with your service provider, however since you’ve mentioned you’re still paying for your phone and because you’re with AT&T I’m going to assume it’s locked and the only way to officially unlock it would be to pay the balance due.

I would recommend to contact wind directly or to go to one of their stores

Locked would mean that your phone would be restricted to using one single carrier. If you bought your phone through a carrier you should speak to them about the status of your phone. However having a dual sim phone I would assume your phone would be unlocked. If you bought the phone without a contact you should be fine to use it while here with any of the carriers. But for more info you should speak directly to one of them.

+Rafael Di Furia (Rafi Di) oh i see...thanks! btw i see people on trip advisor prefer TIM cos the others are sketchy on their data packages....is that true?

I would NEVER recommend TIM to anybody. I had a very negative experience with their service and was constantly being overcharged for services I never requested and never was able to get an LTE signal. I know other people with the same complaints. I personally wouldn’t use them. I’ve personally had great experiences with 3/Tre even though in smaller towns you may not always have the best signal. But I’ve never had any problems using their services so far.

+Rafael Di Furia (Rafi Di) what packages of tre that you recommend for 14days of traveling in italy? my priority is making calls within italy and data quota

Hard to say, I've never needed a package anywhere for that short of a period of time. However I might again have to come back to 3/Tre and the prepaid plans they offer. There are places where you can rent phones or sim cards... but their prices always seem to be much higher than they should, then there's always the question of returning the equipment.

I believe Vodafone may be the only operator that offers them in Italy, but I could be wrong

@@RafaelDiFuria I saw that Vodafone was in Spain but not in Italy??? Could be a miss print??? It said TIM. in Italy????

Thanks for sharing your opinion, much appreciated

Hello Aysenur